Prince of Light
by KerushiiKurai
Summary: A guilt ridden Sasuke comes back to Konoha, and is sentenced to house arrest under Naruto's guard. Though offered execution, Naruto wouldn't hear of it. Still not understanding why Naruto keeps saving him, Sasuke turns to suicide, thinking that if he is dead, he can no longer hurt anyone. Oh how wrong he is.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like for this to occur in Naruto, that decision is up to the genius mind of Masashi Kishimoto.

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**Prince of Light**

Chapter 1

"Sasuke Uchiha," the Elder spoke. Though appearing easily in her eighties, her voice still carried with the strength of her youth.

"You stand accused of high treason, espionage, mass murder, and numerous other international offenses. For this I would have your life end with the coming dawn, but as your former affiliate and friend, Naruto Uzumaki, has chosen to advocate for you, taking your actions from this day forth as his responsibility, you will remain under his guard and supervision, until such time as a new Hokage is elected. Do you understand these terms?"

"I do," I answered.

I turned to look at the blonde boy standing beside me, facing the Elder council, no longer a boy now I supposed. Only a ghost of the infamous knucklehead ninja remained in the blonde's face. In the cerulean gaze where once young foolery played, now flitted the ghosts of war. He had grown all too soon from an arrogant youth into a warrior, a leader, ready to take his place among the faces on the cliff-side.

"However," the Elder paused. "As we cannot leave the gravity of such crimes go unpunished and for the future security of this village, your chakra will be forever sealed and your ninja title stripped. Do you understand these terms?"

"I do."

I looked once again for some reaction from my blonde warden, but his jaw remained set and his face a mask of severity.

The elder turned to him.  
"As agreed, the rogue is your charge, Naruto. Be sure he does not loose himself again, for his and your own sake," she added darkly.

I flinched at the way she said "rogue," as though I were no different than the demon-fox residing in Naruto's own body. But whether I was more upset by the accusation or by the fact that I knew she was right, I could not tell.

~TS~

I silently followed Naruto through the streets of Konoha to my new prison, two ANBU on either side of me.

The judging eyes of the village followed our procession, even young children's small fingers pointed to me, asking why I was still allowed to draw breath. It occurred to me that this must be what Naruto's childhood was like.

I took every glare, every accusing finger as a dagger to the chest, wishing it could stop my breathing. I deserved their hate and condemnation; I deserved nothing more than execution.

So why in hell did he keep saving me?

"You've been given a room in my house, Sasuke. There will be two ANBU outside the room at all times and no less than ten surrounding the house," Naruto said with his back to me.

I looked at the golden spiky head before me. He hadn't met my eyes since the months before the trial while I'd waited in prison. Truthfully, even if he had, I doubt I would be able to meet that sapphire gaze. After all I'd put him through, I had no right to.

Once at the house Naruto quickly showed me to my room. It was sparingly furnished, with a bed, dresser and mirror, though I wished the latter hadn't been there. I had no wish to see the monster I'd become every day, but I figured this must be part of my punishment.

"You will not be allowed to leave the house except on my request and food will be prepared and brought here," he explained and turned to go. His voice was devoid of emotion, as I had trained my own to become for years, but somehow, coming from him it fucking hurt, knowing I had done this.

"Naruto," I began.

He paused.

"Why didn't you just let them execute me?"

He turned his head halfway to me, though still didn't meet my eyes. "I didn't bring you all the way back home just to see you die. If I'd wanted you dead, I could have done it myself."

I averted my gaze, letting his words sink in, although truth be told, I would rather die by his hand than by execution.

Knowing I'd regret it later, I pushed it one step farther. "Why didn't you? After everything that happened, I don't deserve to live."

He stiffened at this, his hand clenching at his side. Maybe he would punch me, though he seemed to relax again. "If you haven't figured it out by now, Sasuke, it's okay. You don't need to know." He walked out, closing the door behind him.

_Yes I do, Naruto._

I let myself fall to the bed, throwing a frustrated punch at the mattress.

I suppose I had decided it sometime during the night, but don't remember actually deciding to. Either way, here I stood gazing over the cliff ledge at the rock bottom, nearly three hundred feet below me. Surely that would be enough.

Sneaking out of the house had been easy enough; I hadn't gone through training with S-ranked criminals for nothing. I knew how to get past ANBU, even without my chakra. If anything, that made it easier.

It would be easy right? I could let myself fall and gravity would do the rest. It might even feel like flying and then nothing…

A gust of wind blew up the mountainside, blowing my cloak and ebony hair about me as I stood at the edge of the Fifth Hokage's stone carven head. I took two slow, deep breaths. My heart pounded furiously, as if it knew what I was about to do.

"Sasuke!"

It came distant as a memory…his voice screaming my name in desperation, raw with untamed emotion; not the cold, bitter tone I had heard only hours ago. His smile came to memory, that cocky, challenging grin, something I had secretly always adored, but all too soon the bitter, hurt gaze came back to my mind.

Yes, it was better this way, I would never hurt anyone again, and Naruto would have the chance to get his face carved into this mountain.

I let the memory of a smile grace my lips as I thought of this and let myself fall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"NOO!"

_The raw desperation in his voice...at least I could imagine he cared._

An iron grip locked around my wrist, stopping my fall and holding me dangled over the edge of the cliff. I looked up into furious sapphire orbs.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he screamed.

I matched his fury with my own.

"Executing myself, because you won't!"I screamed back at him.

His face hardened. "If I wanted to see you die, I would have done it, Sasuke! Give me your other hand!"

"No!" I felt my mask weakening, the flood of emotions leaving tiny fissures over its so carefully constructed surface. "Do it, dammit! Let me go and end it! So you never have to chase me ever again!" I begged.

He gritted his teeth against the effort of holding me for so long. "NO! Give me your hand!"

Waves of emotion crashed against the hard mask, threatening to bring a breakdown. "WHY?! Give me one reason! After all I've done to you, HOW CAN YOU STILL CARE?!"

"Because I LOVE YOU, you selfish, arrogant, ASSHOLE!"

_What…? Naruto loves me?_ Out of all the reasons he might have given, this wasn't on the agenda.

A single treacherous salty drop betrayed him as it landed on my face, shattering my mask completely. A single tear of my own slid down alongside his.

The shock snapped me back to our predicament. Naruto strained to hold on to me, which wasn't aided by his tears.

"Naruto, take my hand," I said and reached up to him.

He gladly did and pulled me up. His arm remained wrapped around my waist from pulling me up. I found my own arms wound around his shoulders, fists clutched in his jacket. I dropped my head to his shoulder, letting his orange and black sweatshirt hide the tears I couldn't let anyone see.

"Don't ever pull something like that again. I won't lose you again," the blonde murmured, his arm tightening around my waist.

I only nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment.

After a moment, Naruto pulled back, his arm coming to rest on my shoulder. "Sasuke, look at me."

When I didn't move from his shoulder, I felt his warm fingers along my jaw line, gently raising my face to meet those infinite sapphire orbs.

He was perfect; the golden strands falling into the brightness of his eyes looked like rays of sunshine on a sparkling azure sea. Yet despite this, the grave expression seemed wrong on his usually sunny face.

_Those lips…_ I wanted to see that breathless smile, the one that melted the ice walls around my heart.

I found myself moving forward until only a breath away from him.

"Sasu-"

My kiss cut him short, my fingers coiling into the golden spikes. At first he pulled back in surprise but then leaned into me, the smile I'd been waiting for curling his lips. I deepened the kiss, pulling him closer, needing the heat of his body against mine. How, in the intensity I felt now, had I survived without it before?

I broke the kiss, my lips tracing the whisker lines on his cheeks before moving down his jaw line and neck. I let my tongue slip out and flick lightly over his heated skin, a smile only he would ever know teasing my lips.

A low moan rumbled deep within his chest and the pulse I felt under my lips jumped and quickened.

"Sasuke…we should go back….where there's more privacy," he managed.

I stopped kissing, letting my head rest on his shoulder again. I kept my arms firmly around him.

"Naruto," I whispered against his neck. "I love you." The three words that had terrified me for so long came easier than I had thought and something in my heart seemed to click into place.

He tightened his arms around me and buried his head in my shoulder.

I have come upon a new purpose in life; to protect this person I held in my arms…_this irritating, frustrating…perfect, precious person._ I would stand always by his side…my prince of light.


End file.
